UP State Election Commission to monitor SMS, social media posts ahead of local body elections

The Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission on Wednesday announced that it will monitor SMS and social media posts ahead of local body elections in the state.

UP State Election Commission also stated that it will take strong action against people caught spreading misleading information through SMS and social media.

Uttar Pradesh will have civic polls in three phases from November 22, making it the first electoral test for the ruling BJP which stormed to power in the Assembly elections earlier this year with a massive mandate.

“As per the schedule, 24 districts will go to polls on November 22, 25 districts on November 26, and 26 districts on November 29,” State Election Commissioner SK Agarwal told reporters here.

He said no central para-military force would be used for exercise, which will be conducted by the state police alone.

“Counting of votes polled for 16 nagar nigam, 198 nagar palika parishad and 438 nagar panchayat will be done on December one,” he said.

The polls being held eight months after the BJP came to power in the state with a landslide victory, will also mark the first electoral test for the Yogi Adityanath government.

The SP and the Congress party, which had forged an alliance in the run up to the 2017 state polls, have decided to contest these elections separately. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is also fighting the polls without an alliance.

With PTI inputs